The Cameroon midfielder picked up a groin strain while away on international duty with his country in midweek and it was severe enough to rule him out of today's clash with Liverpool.

And boss Kevin Keegan revealed that the injury looks like ruling Foe, who has scored nine times from midfield this season, out of next weekend's game against Southampton.

Foe's loan from Olympique Lyon expires after that game and, with City unlikely to pay the é7m fee the French side want for his signature, it would appear his brief spell at Maine Road is over.

"It is a big blow," conceded Keegan. "It happens sometimes when you play international football. He couldn't make today's game and I still don't know whether he'll make next week. When you talk about him being out for the season, that's going a bit overboard because there is only one week left.

"But he is struggling and it could be that he is out for the season!

"We will give him every chance to come back and assess the situation towards the end of next week."

Keegan, meanwhile, has challenged his side to finish the season in style and believes today's game and next week's clash against Southampton are not meaningless encounters.

He said: "I prefer to be in games that mean something but prefer them even more when they mean something to Manchester City. We want to do what Liverpool are and that is to challenge for a place in the Champions League. But if we keep making progress, one day that will come.

"Against West Ham, it meant something because they were battling for points at the wrong end of the table."

BLUES fans are being invited to fly the flag one last time at Maine Road when the club bids farewell to the stadium a week tomorrow.

Official Supporters' Clubs and the Centenary Supporters' Associations have already been asked to bring in their flags to decorate the Kippax but the club are hoping that fans will recreate the colourful scenes of previous designated days by buying flags or bringing in their own and getting into the carnival spirit.

"Our last game at Maine Road is set to be a wonderfully memorable occasion for all those with a connection to Manchester City," noted acting chairman John Wardle.

"We've enjoyed some great times here over the past 80 years and want to make sure that our farewell party is one of the best, so we're inviting fans to make an effort, come to the game in fancy dress or with flags or banners and let's make sure that our final day here is the envy of every other club."

Fans are also being urged to arrive early for the game to avoid missing any of the day's festivities. Turnstiles open at 1pm.

FRED Eyre is the guest at the next meeting of the Irlam and Cadishead Branch of the MCOSC at Irlam Steelworks Club on Wednesday (8 00).